If I had only known... Articles Reflecting a Vegan Lifestyle From All-Creatures.org

FROM

We need to take the industry’s promotion of bunny
meat seriously and stop it before it grows.

Let’s do what we can to take a stand for all animals and against an industry
that puts profits above everything else. As we seek to take all animals off
the menu, let’s make sure one more is not added on.

Emmeline, rescued from a bunny "meat" farm in Sonoma County, CA. Photo: By
Tara Baxter

This year will mark my 29th year of being vegan. I remember thinking more
than a decade ago that in 10 years we should be able to put an end to people
wearing fur and animals used for cosmetic testing in the US. It is so sad to
me that we seemed to have slipped backward on both of these issues.

I don’t know about you, but I have often wondered that if there had been
great protest against the first animal put in an aquarium, would aquariums
still be around today?

I often struggle with, Am I doing enough? And I know I am not alone here; I
know that many of us feel that way, whether it’s about non-human animals,
human rights, or both.

But this gets me to why I am writing this blog.

I have thought to myself, If another non-human species were being prepped to
be killed in a large-scale manner—being touted as a more environmentally
friendly source of food—would I do all that I could to stop it?

The answer is yes.

Would I stop advocating for other animals to be eaten instead?

The answer is no.

Would I advocate for both?

The answer is yes.

Would I take every opportunity to advocate for this animal and to stop the
industry before it starts?

The answer is yes.

Would I ever make this animal seem more important, more special, cuter, or
smarter than the rest?

The answer is no.

Does this change my efforts to promote veganism?

The answer is no.

I raise this issue because the animal ag industry is trying to popularize
the slaughter and consumption of yet another species in the US.

The bunny.

(My husband has often reminded me that these animals are used in nearly
every form of exploitation—fur, testing, food, entertainment, hunting,
etc.—which is why his heart goes out most to these gentle creatures.)

Unfortunately, for some reason beyond me, activists campaigning for bunnies
is seen as a controversial issue.

And for the most part, advocating for these animals has been left to the
bunny groups. There are many of these organizations, and those groups that
are vegan have managed to open the hearts and minds of many people who might
otherwise not have considered the needs of animals other than rabbits or
that they deserve our protection.

For those of us who are vegan and who have campaigned for bunnies, some of
our detractors have accused us of not caring about or neglecting other
animals.

So we push for veganism, but I don’t see an issue with trying to stop an
insidious animal agriculture industry in its tracks.

But maybe I am getting distracted. My point is this: we need to take the
industry’s promotion of bunny meat seriously and stop it before it grows.
[Just think: If we took issues seriously and addressed them head on, would
we be where we are now politically? Read:
Chipping Away at Injustices.]

How? If you hear of a restaurant or grocery store starting to sell bunny
“meat”, speak out NOW. Don’t wait for anyone; you can talk to the manager
and/or restaurant owner. If they aren’t budging, get others in your
community to speak out—letters and phone calls make a big difference. You
can contact groups such as SaveABunny and the House Rabbit Society for help.

We can do this. The power of the animal movement has always been you,
individuals speaking up for justice and compassion.

I have had the privilege of spending time with bunnies, and even though we
don’t hear them much, they have no trouble letting us know what they want
(looking at you, Emmeline!).

Let’s do what we can to take a stand for all animals and against an industry
that puts profits above everything else. As we seek to take all animals off
the menu, let’s make sure one more is not added on.

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